Eight Intertwined

42 - Gold

The process of leaving the mansion behind was so simple given all that had just been accomplished, and Ophilia couldn't help but wonder how everything had taken place. It was strange how simultaneously complex and simple it had been from start to finish. Primrose had killed the man of the crow, and the rest of them had fought through his forces so that they would be able to escape to begin with. It was simple when she put it that way, but the longer that Ophilia thought about it, the more complications seemed to arise.

She had seen Primrose throughout the battle, and she could tell that there was more to the dancer than originally met the eye. That much was clear as could be given the nature of Primrose herself as a person and the way that she behaved, but Ophilia still found herself thinking about it. When Primrose set her mind to a goal of revenge, it was like she didn't think about anything else. That was all that mattered to her, the driving force that kept a wind in her sails and a breath in her lungs. It was almost terrifying just how much she was driven by this one factor.

But at the same time, Ophilia could tell that there was more going on than any of them could have initially anticipated. It seemed as if everything was complicated these days, but Primrose was the embodiment of the complexity. She was driven by revenge, but at the same time, she seemed to falter in her convictions. She didn't let anyone see this openly, but there was something that was holding her back, a question in her mind inquiring as to if this was the best decision for her to be making. Ophilia had no answer, and she didn't think that anybody else was able to reply either.

The plan was established quickly for everyone to get ready to leave behind Stillsnow the following morning. They were going to gather together any extra supplies that they could have needed before heading for the entrance of the town so that they could get to Noblecourt before the sun went down the next day. They wouldn't have been able to make it to Noblecourt before sundown that night, and so, they decided that staying in Stillsnow was the best option for the time being.

Ophilia was more than fine with this, truth be told. There had been something on her mind for quite some time. Ever since they first arrived in Stillsnow, she found her mind drifting elsewhere. She looked down at the staff in her hands before her gaze fell on the Ember a moment later. She had been struggling to maintain her focus as long as she had Aelfric lingering in the back of her mind. There were still so many questions that she had not been able to ask the goddess, and as long as they were in the area, Ophilia wanted to do at least something to hear about all that she had missed out on.

She found herself walking to the front entrance of town, and she tucked her staff away in her bag. Everyone else was focused on gathering supplies for the coming journey. Surely they wouldn't notice if she was gone for a short while. She had to do this regardless of their thoughts on the matter; there was something in the back of her mind that told her this was the best course of action. For all she knew, she was never going to get a chance like this again, and she had to take it with everything she had.

Ophilia's fingers curled a bit tighter around the handle of the Lanthorn, and she let out a small sigh before starting to walk into the snow ahead. She could still remember where the shrine was, and hopefully, it would be able to answer all of the questions that she still had.

~~~~~

To say that Primrose was conflicted was an understatement.

As soon as the chance arrived, she wound up retreating to her room within the inn. All of the women in the brothel had scattered with Rufus' death, and the guards under his employ began to slink into the shadows. They were seemingly terrified that the force that had killed their previous employer would come for them as well. Just like that, the Obsidian Parlor became devoid of activity, nothing more than a shadow lingering in the snow just outside the town.